


An Awkward Situation

by SteelLily



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Gen, Regina & Ruby Friendship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-18
Updated: 2015-09-18
Packaged: 2018-04-21 09:51:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,575
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4824395
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SteelLily/pseuds/SteelLily
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This story came as a tumblr prompt from yokothetypo (they give me some of the best prompts).<br/>Prompt: "AU where Ruby is indebted to Regina for helping her control the wolf."<br/>This short fic veered <i>slightly</i> off course but I tried to stay true to the prompt.</p>
<p>Disclaimer: I don't own any characters from the Once Upon a Time universe and I make no claim to.</p>
            </blockquote>





	An Awkward Situation

Ruby groaned and slumped against the bar. 

"You know who you could ask, right?" Emma nudged Ruby's shoulder from the barstool next to her.

"No. Don't even," Ruby glared pointedly at the blonde.

"I guess you could ask Gold but somehow I don't think you really want him knowing your lady wolf problems," Emma shrugged.

Ruby's forehead crashed against her forearms on the counter. "Speak of the devil," Ruby could hear the grin in Emma's voice along with the chime of the bell over the door.

She knew exactly who had entered the diner and she hated to admit that Emma was right. Regina was the perfect person to ask for help with her...sensitive matter. 

"Good evening, Miss Swan. Miss Lucas," Regina greeted.

Emma leaned over and placed a kiss on Regina's cheek in reply. Ruby simply nodded and pushed a sigh through her closed lips. She opened her mouth to speak but closed it. Her mouth opened and closed again. Regina rolled her eyes and dropped her hands onto her hips, "Do stop the imitation of a fish, dear. If you've something to say, spit it out."

Ruby growled, the sound echoing the animal waiting impatiently for its turn this evening, "Fine," she gritted through clenched teeth, "I...," Ruby growled again.  
Regina raised her eyebrows and motioned with her hand to continue before stealing a fry from Emma's plate. Ruby closed her eyes, "I need someone to watch me tonight."

"Is that all?" Regina shrugged, "I assume I'm your last resort. I suppose we could keep you in my vault for the evening. That should be secure enough."

"You'll help me?" Ruby's eyebrows furrowed in the center of her forehead.

"Of course, dear," she waved away the insinuation, "I would like some cider first, or is that too much trouble?" Regina let her natural snark seep through.

Granny cleared her throat over by the register, snapping Ruby out of her thoughts. "Yeah sure, no problem."

Regina nodded with pursed lips and sat down at the bar next to Emma. Emma grinned broadly at Regina. Regina rolled her eyes and tossed her head defiantly, “She could be a danger to Henry.”

“Uh huh,” Emma half laughed, “Thanks, dear,” she added the last word with a wink and popped a French fry in her mouth.

Ruby returned to the counter with Regina’s drink in a to-go cup. Regina took it with a nod and rose from her seat, “I’ll prepare wards around the vault. Meet me there when you’re ready, Miss Lucas,” she gave Emma’s hand a squeeze before turning and exiting the diner.

Ruby groaned, “My libido is literally going to be the death of me. She’s liable to kill me when she realizes why I couldn’t ask you for this favour. You know that right? Any last words to your good friend? Tell your mother I’ll miss her,” Ruby clutched her hands over her heart melodramatically, “Granny, you’ve been good to me.”  
Granny grunted and rolled her eyes. Emma sighed, “Regina’ll laugh her ass off at you, but she’s not going to kill you, Ruby.”

Ruby snorted and stalked back to the back room to get her red cloak. She untied the apron around her waist, tossed it on a prep table and wrapped the cape around her shoulders. Spring was well on its way but nights still held onto the winter chill. The crisp air felt good in her lungs. She wanted to run, the urge was nearly overpowering. The sky was still pink as the sun tried to hang on to the day but she could see the full moon waiting. It called to her and there was nothing she wanted more than to give in. She opted, rather, to revel in her heightened senses as she walked to the mausoleum through the woods. Ruby’s head inclined slightly, as she picked up sounds from the mines, five miles away, the dripping of water from the ceiling, splashing against the rocks on the ground. She took a breath and inhaled the scent of wet leaves and mildewy stones down near the toll bridge. It was true, what they said, magic did work very differently here than in their world. Ruby had done much in the area of reacquainting herself with her wolf form. Her senses no longer competed with one another to overwhelm her. The blackouts were rare and only lasting in moments. She had not once attacked another person which she prayed this new…issue would not change. Ruby sighed as she approached Regina’s mausoleum. Regina sat on the stone step in front, cradling her cup of cider. Ruby took a deep breath and strode toward her. Regina rolled her eyes up from her still steaming cup and stood, straightening her pencil skirt, “Care to tell me what to expect?” she asked, ushering Ruby down the stairs.

Ruby grimaced, there was no easy way to talk about it so she dove straight in, “My wolf is in heat.”

Regina stuttered on the step behind Ruby and cleared her throat, “Did I hear you correctly, dear? In heat?”

Ruby squinted and walked the rest of the way down the stairs before answering. Her chest rose and fell slowly, “Yes. It should’ve happened ages ago but well…the curse delayed the inevitable.”

Regina pursed her lips and shook her head, “I see.”

She walked past Ruby and waved her hand in front of a stone wall. The hidden door groaned open. Regina stepped through. A ward shimmered as she passed, like walking through a bubble. Ruby followed. The area they walked into was a sparsely decorated room with a plush red sitting chair, a slim wooden coat rack and a side table with a thick hard back book sitting on it along with a pair of black rimmed glasses. Regina motioned for Ruby to step toward the center of the room. Her slightly heightened sight allowed her to see the faint shimmer of a protective bubble covering most of the room. Ruby removed the cloak from around her shoulders and handed it back toward Regina who took it and placed it on one of the hooks of the coat rack then placed her black pea coat alongside it.

Ruby took a breath and stepped into the shield. She felt the barrier ripple around her and she sat crossed legged on the stone floor. Regina sat down in the chair near the door and watched Ruby, waiting for her to talk. Ruby simply looked around the room. Finally, Regina rolled her eyes and broke the silence, “I understand why you would not seek Rumple out for assistance with this matter, but Emma also has magic, why not her?”

Ruby nodded and leaned back on her hands. “I’d rather not risk putting the wolf alone in a room with anyone I’ve slept with before,” Ruby cautiously looked up at Regina.

Regina’s eyes closed and she was silent for a moment. Her chest rose and fell awkwardly. Ruby shifted forward, her brows pinched in concern, “Regina?”

A low rumble of laughter spilled out of Regina’s lips, growing in intensity. Ruby crossed her arms and sighed in annoyance. “It’s not that funny,” she muttered.

“Oh, my dear, I imagine I am one of only a few people you haven’t bedded. Did you think it would shock me to find out you’d had sex with Miss Swan?” Regina asked through her dying laughter.

“Hey, I haven’t slept with that many people,” Ruby protested.

Regina crossed her arms and leaned back in the chair. Ruby sighed, “Okay, fine. I have.”

Regina smiled, “I’m not here to judge you, Miss Lucas. Your sexual excursions are none of my business,” Regina looked pensive for a moment, “Was it difficult? Learning to be the wolf again?”

Ruby shrugged, “A bit,” Ruby chewed on her lip briefly then sighed, “When we got our memories back, part of me hoped the wolf wouldn’t come back. It was kind of nice not having to worry about controlling it for twenty some odd years.”

Regina nodded and silence fell over them for a moment. “I don’t mean to overstep. I know we aren’t really friends,” Regina started, “But I’ve always been impressed by you.”

Ruby shook her head, certain she had hallucinated. “I’m sorry?”

Regina sighed, “Your wolf. Your control. It hasn’t been an easy road, I imagine, learning to keep reign over your more primal impulses. I spent quite a long time ruled by mine. I may not’ve changed shape but we aren’t so different you and I. You learned to keep your needs in check far better than I ever did,” she finished distantly.  
“I guess I’d never really thought of it that way. It’s so easy to see the wolf as a monster,” Ruby replied quietly.

“Oh not at all, Miss Lucas. Your wolf is a gift. I’m honoured you would trust me, of all people, to watch over you both.”

Ruby smiled and looked up at Regina who had taken up her book and was placing the glasses over the bridge of her nose. She looked up over the frames at Ruby, “Good luck tonight, dear.”

Ruby reared back on her heels in a crouch. Regina watched her green eyes go yellow and her face elongate. The large shaggy black wolf shook and stared at Regina a moment before howling. Regina smirked, opened her book and took a sip of her cider.


End file.
